13 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

8,000-year-old Female Figurine Discovered in Ulucak Höyük in Western Türkiye

One of the most prominent and oldest Neolithic sites found in what is now Turkey has yielded yet another interesting find – a clay statuette of a female figurine has been unearthed in Ulucak Höyük (Ulucak Mound), dated to 8.000 years ago.

The discovery was made in the western Turkish province’s Kemalpasa district, at Ulucak Höyük, one of the oldest sites in Western Anatolia. It is described as “a very rare piece” and may have been a part of significant abundance and fertility rites.

Prof. Dr. Özlem Çevik, Lecturer at the Department of Protohistory and Near Eastern Archaeology, Faculty of Letters, Trakya University, said: ‘The most important element distinguishing this figure from the others is that its mouth is indicated. Because the figures usually have eyes and noses. However, in this figure, we see that both the mouth is indicated in the form of a hole and a hole has been made in the neck so that it can be jewelry.’

Excavations carried out with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Metropolitan Municipality, Kemalpaşa Municipality, and Kemalpaşa Organized Industry have been continuing since 2009 under the leadership of Trakya University Faculty of Literature, Protohistory and Near Eastern Archeology Department Lecturer Prof. Dr Özlem Çevik.

Photo: AA

Stating that Ulucak Mound is one of the first village settlements of Izmir, Prof. Dr. Özlem Çevik said, ‘Ulucak represents one of the earliest farmer village settlements in Western Anatolia.  It is very important for us to understand the neolithisation process. The first settlement in the mound dates back to 8,850 years ago. For 1150 years, the neolithic settlement continued at Ulucak Höyük for 45 five generations without interruption. This year’s excavations continue at the mound. One of the most important finds so far is a female figure. Generally, we find parts of figures such as arms, legs, and heads in Ulucak. This figurine, which we found lastly this year, was the 6th figure found as a whole so far.’



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Prof. Dr. Çevik emphasized that it can be assumed that the depicted female figurine has a privileged position in the community and said, ‘It may represent the person who lives here and tells the stories in the community. It is made of clay. It is 8-10 centimeters in size. It can fit in one hand. We find them buried in houses, near ovens, in pits under door thresholds, or associated with grinding stones, or associated with flints in a container. They may be ritual objects used to fulfill an intention, action, or request.’

Ulucak Mound, located in the Ulucak district of Kemalpaşa county on the 15th km of Bornova-Ankara road, was the location of one of the oldest settlements of Western Anatolia and it illuminates cultural history both by its architectural structure and its foundlings. Excavations were started in 1995 and three cultural layers were identified. These are the Late Roman period at the top; the Early Bronze Age layers underneath Early Byzantine settlements and the Late Neolithic settlement at the bottom.

Related Articles

Stone Penis Found in Medieval Spanish ruins Had Violent Purpose

11 June 2023

11 June 2023

Archaeologists found a six-inch stone penis while excavating the Tower of Meira (Torre de Meira) in the city of Ría...

Unique work of Minoan art, the Pylos Combat Agate must be the David of the Prehistoric era

21 November 2021

21 November 2021

Found in a Greek tomb dating back 3,500 years, the artifact is so well designed that it looks as lively...

Archaeologists Uncover 8 Graves Dated 6,500 Years Ago in Lausanne, Swiss

30 October 2021

30 October 2021

Archaeologists have unearthed eight prehistoric tombs between 5,500 and 6,500 years old in the Swiss town of Pully. The site...

Lost Voices of Teotihuacan: Scientists May Have Deciphered the Ancient City’s Language

7 October 2025

7 October 2025

More than 1,500 years after its decline, the ancient metropolis of Teotihuacan is yielding what may be one of Mesoamerica’s...

Exceptional discovery of a fully frescoed chamber tomb dating back to the Republican and Imperial Roman ages

10 October 2023

10 October 2023

Waterworks in Giugliano, a suburb of Campania (Naples), have uncovered an untouched chamber tomb full of frescoes ceilings, and walls...

2,000-Year-Old Hellenistic Tomb Discovered Under Collapsed Port Road in Northern Cyprus

24 June 2025

24 June 2025

A routine alert about a collapsed road at Gazimağusa Port in Northern Cyprus has led to a remarkable archaeological breakthrough....

The Oldest Evidence of Stone Blade Production in Southern Arabia: 80,000-Year-Old Stone Blades Discovered

21 February 2025

21 February 2025

An international team of researchers led by Knut Bretzke of Friedrich Schiller University Jena uncovered 80,000-year-old stone blades at the...

2,000-Year-Old Mysterious Kangju Burial Mound Filled with Gold Jewelry and Mirror Found in Kazakhstan

2 June 2024

2 June 2024

Archaeologists in Kazakhstan have unearthed gold jewelry, arrowheads, and a large, bronze mirror from three burial mounds in the Tolebaitobe...

Women May Have Ruled El Algar in the Bronze Age

12 March 2021

12 March 2021

The diadem found in the Bronze Age tomb belonging to the El Algar culture may have belonged to a queen....

In the 1,900-year-old underground temple of Mithras religion in Zerzevan Castle, an area where participants of secret rituals stayed was unearthed

23 July 2024

23 July 2024

Excavations at the  Zerzevan Castle in Diyarbakır province in the southeastern part of Türkiye have uncovered an area where participants...

A woman who had brain surgery 9500 years ago will be brought revived

12 September 2021

12 September 2021

A “revival” effort is underway on a woman’s skull unearthed in 1989 during archaeological digs at the Aşıklı Mound in...

Viking Dentistry Was Surprisingly Advanced And Not Unlike Today’s Treatments

15 December 2023

15 December 2023

Viking Age teeth at Varnhem indicate surprisingly advanced dentistry, according to the results of a study conducted at the University...

A 2,000-year-old ancient “mirror” throws light on aristocratic life in China

17 May 2022

17 May 2022

Archeologists in Beijing have successfully reconstructed a 2,000-year-ago dressing mirror once cherished by the high nobility during the Han Dynasty....

Amateur Female Detectorist Discovers Rare 1,500-Year-Old Brooch in Northern Finland

8 August 2025

8 August 2025

A remarkable archaeological discovery in the Finnish town of Kemi is offering fresh insights into the lives of elite women...

High school student discovered a 1500-year-old ancient Magical Mirror

9 August 2023

9 August 2023

 A High school student discovered an ancient “magical mirror” meant to ward off the evil eye in an archaeological excavation...